The Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), a network of 170 Universities in 40 African countries, will hold its second Triennial Conference from 12-16 August 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia. This year’s conference will be held under the theme “Operationalising Higher Agricultural Education and Research Ecosystems for Innovation, Industrialisation and Economic Development in Africa: A Call for Action”, reflecting RUFORUM’s commitment to foster sustainable agricultural practices that drive socio-economic growth and development across the continent.
The conference is a response to the urgent need for the African governments, development partners, private sector, and citizenry to take action to invest in higher education that underpins the continent’s urgent development needs in an inclusive and sustainable way.
The Triennial conference and related events will be co-hosted by the Government of Namibia through the Ministry of Higher Education Technology and Innovation and RUFORUM member Universities in Namibia namely; the University of Namibia (UNAM), the International University of Management (IUM) and Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST).
The five-day conference will bring together policymakers including Ministers and Technical Experts, Higher Education leaders in Africa, development partners, private sector leaders, researchers, innovators, students, and farmer organizations, among others. Approximately 1,000 participants from across the world are expected to attend the Meeting.
This year’s Conference will have a considered the following objectives:
- Enable education and agricultural ecosystem actors to showcase and present their key findings, lesson-share and inform each other on key actions required to make science work in Africa’s development;
- Engage lead actors in policy and practice, to identify action areas for further investments in agriculture and higher education;
- Promote international linkages and partnerships for excellence in Higher Education;
- Provide a platform for discussions, and lesson learning among diverse actors on the subject of creating employment for Africa’s young population; and
- Deliberate on the macro and micro needs to adapt smart operations in terms of changing connectivity, education, business practices, sustainable agricultural and value chain transitions and advancement.
The Conference will involve key actors in Africa’s agricultural development such as, The African Union Commission (AUC) and sub – Regional Research Organisations (SROs) across Africa, and key players in the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovations Systems in Africa and beyond.
The 2nd Triennial Conference is expected to take place through different convenings. These include pre-conference events, side events, business meetings, capacity-building sessions, scientific conferences, poster sessions and exhibitions by member universities and other partners. Additionally, high-level policy dialogues such as the Ministerial Roundtable will be held. During the scientific sessions, oral communications and facilitated discussions will be conducted in a blended manner.
The week-long Triennial will be officially opened and closed by senior Government leaders of Namibia. Guest speakers and leaders will engage to discuss strategic issues affecting higher education and development in Africa. Specifically, a meeting of Ministers of higher education, agriculture, science, technology and innovation as well as development partners will be held.
To crown it all, recognition awards of outstanding achievers such as model farmers, young scientists and student researchers from Namibia as well as young innovators from Southern Africa will be presented.
RUFORUM Secretariat is hosted by Makerere University at its main campus in Kampala on behalf of the Government of Uganda.
